Improvement in flour-bolts



W. .T. MERRITT.

FLOUR-BOLT.

Patented Apri111,1876.

WITNESSES.

M WM MPETERS. FHQTQYLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, s 0.

UNITED STATES IMPROVEMENT IN FLOUR-BQLTS.

PATENT- OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. MERRITT, OF BARDOLPH, ILLINOIS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,838. dated April11, 1876; application filed April 2, 1875.

tion and operation of the same, reference be,

ing had to the annexed drawing, and to the letters of reference markedthereon My'invention has for its object to improve the construction offlouring machinery, so as to take all the fine bran and other impuritiesfrom the flour while passing through the bolts; and its novelty consistsin the arrangement and combination of exhaust-fan blowers with thebolts, so that a continuous current of air of difl'erent strength isdrawn through each bolt, as hereinafter described.

In the drawing, A A represent the bolts, which are made in the usualmanner with a center shaft, to which a suitable frameis lirl'nlyattached, which is surrounded with bolt-cloth, forming a cylinder. Thecenter shaft extends outside of the frame to receive the bevel-gearwheels, which gear into similar wheels on the shaft F. B Brepresentexhaust-fan blowers, which are made inthe usual manner, with a centershaft, which has cross-arms to which the wings s s are attached, and isinclosed in a suitable frame, and are provided with pulleys to operatethem by. These blowers are placed one on the right, and the other on theleft of the bolting-chest, as shown. I

The operation is as follows: Motion is applied to the shaft F, which, bymeans of the bevel-gear wheels, gives motion to the bolts A A. Motion isalso applied to'the fan-blowers BB by belts, (not shown,) and they arerun at a sufficiently high speed to draw a current of air of suitablestrength through each bolt. The unbolted flour is introduced into theupper bolt at the spout d, which conveys it to the inside of the bolt.The bolt-frames are constructed with ribs projecting inward from thebolt-cloth, which" catches the flour, and raises it up and lets it fallagain, (which action the bolt performs by revolving,) which agitates theflour sufiiciently to set free all the fine particles of bran and dust,which, by means of the exhaust air-draft from the righthand fan-blower,(indicated by the arrows,) which catches those impurities, are drawnthrough the upper boltat once, and are brought down and returned intothe lower bolt. Then the left-hand fan-blower continues the current ofair, but not so strong as the current through a the upper bolt, so thatif any of the fine particles of flour should-be drawn out of the upperbolt and returned into the lower, the aircurrent through the lower boltis not of suflicient strength to draw them any farther; eonsequcutlythey go into the second grade of flour. The current of air through thelower bolt should be of sufficient strength to take out all thelightfine particles of bran and dust that would otherwise go into'theflour.

By this construction and arrangement, all the light and fine particlesof bran and other impurities are taken out of the upper bolt at once,which would otherwise go into the fine flour.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is The combination, with the bolts AA, of the exhaust-fan blowers B B, when arranged so as to draw a currentof air through each bolt of equal or different strength, as may be required, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WM. J. MERRITT.

Witnesses;

Tnos. J. PRICE, B. T. WHrrsoN.

